Strategy One: Identifying Similarities and Differences In this science lesson, the students will be exploring the image database on the official Olympics.org website. Here, they will be exploring images of Olympians whom exemplify either potential or kinetic energy. The students will be challenged to compare and contrast each image to determine the type of energy they feel the image demonstrates. As they begin to identify the differences between the two types of energy, they will create a digital photo album using slides on PowerPoint to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concept of the conservation of energy, as well as the meaning of potential and kinetic energy. The pictures will include images of Olympians as well as photographs of themselves to demonstrate the differences between potential and kinetic energy. “Students benefit by having similarities and differences pointed out by the teacher in an explicit manner. This can include rich discussion and inquiry, but allows students to focus on the relationship or bridge to the new ideas” (Chen, Yanowitz & Daehler, 1996; Gholson, Smither, Buhrman, & Duncan, 1997; Newby, Ertmer, & Stepich, 1995; Solomon, 1995).
Resources:
Access to a computer lab with Internet access
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, which includes PowerPoint: $149.95
LCD projector (can be purchased for under $1,000)
Digital camera: range from $99.00-$300.00
Strategy Two: Summarizing and Note Taking The idea that the students have an opportunity to research Olympic athletes competing in sports that they have a personal interest in engages them into their learning of the concepts of energy. This activity becomes even more personalized when the students must post two photos of themselves in their digital photo album that demonstrate the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. Each caption had to include an explanation of the sport and event and a reason why it is under the energy category they placed it in. This is a new and innovative way to “encourage students to personalize their notes, using sketches, diagrams, color codes, idea webs, or other approaches that make sense to them. What matters most is that students make notes that are meaningful and useful to them.” Resources: The technology that assisted the students in this form of note taking was the use of PowerPoint in Microsoft office. Most schools already have the Microsoft Office package installed on each computer, but the initial package, as mentioned earlier, is $149.95.
Overcoming Educational Challenge: Differentiated Instruction To differentiate instruction is to recognize students’ varying background knowledge, readiness, learning styles, and interests and to react to that. By providing students with a choice of ways to engage with key content, their individual learning needs are being met. This activity services all types of learners, including visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners. For visual learners, they are not only reading through the content on “How stuff works,” but also then picking out images that enhance their learning of energy concepts. For auditory learners, they will be watching and listening to the video about the ice hockey slap shot, which demonstrates the conservation of momentum, as well as potential and kinetic energy. For the kinesthetic learners, they will have the opportunity to become hands on with the requirement to use the class digital camera in order to capture photos of themselves in action. Teachers often have trouble meeting the needs of every child in their classroom, but this activity reaches out to those varying needs and allows the students to have a choice in the images they collect within the parameters of Olympic athletes.
Focus on Effectiveness: Integrating Technology into Research-Based Strategies (2005). Retrieved on June 1, 2010 from, http://www.netc.org/focus/.
By Cristy Lindstrom
Strategy One: Identifying Similarities and Differences
In this science lesson, the students will be exploring the image database on the official Olympics.org website. Here, they will be exploring images of Olympians whom exemplify either potential or kinetic energy. The students will be challenged to compare and contrast each image to determine the type of energy they feel the image demonstrates. As they begin to identify the differences between the two types of energy, they will create a digital photo album using slides on PowerPoint to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concept of the conservation of energy, as well as the meaning of potential and kinetic energy. The pictures will include images of Olympians as well as photographs of themselves to demonstrate the differences between potential and kinetic energy. “Students benefit by having similarities and differences pointed out by the teacher in an explicit manner. This can include rich discussion and inquiry, but allows students to focus on the relationship or bridge to the new ideas” (Chen, Yanowitz & Daehler, 1996; Gholson, Smither, Buhrman, & Duncan, 1997; Newby, Ertmer, & Stepich, 1995; Solomon, 1995).
Resources:
Access to a computer lab with Internet access
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, which includes PowerPoint: $149.95
LCD projector (can be purchased for under $1,000)
Digital camera: range from $99.00-$300.00
Strategy Two: Summarizing and Note Taking
The idea that the students have an opportunity to research Olympic athletes competing in sports that they have a personal interest in engages them into their learning of the concepts of energy. This activity becomes even more personalized when the students must post two photos of themselves in their digital photo album that demonstrate the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. Each caption had to include an explanation of the sport and event and a reason why it is under the energy category they placed it in. This is a new and innovative way to “encourage students to personalize their notes, using sketches, diagrams, color codes, idea webs, or other approaches that make sense to them. What matters most is that students make notes that are meaningful and useful to them.”
Resources:
The technology that assisted the students in this form of note taking was the use of PowerPoint in Microsoft office. Most schools already have the Microsoft Office package installed on each computer, but the initial package, as mentioned earlier, is $149.95.
Overcoming Educational Challenge: Differentiated Instruction
To differentiate instruction is to recognize students’ varying background knowledge, readiness, learning styles, and interests and to react to that. By providing students with a choice of ways to engage with key content, their individual learning needs are being met. This activity services all types of learners, including visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners. For visual learners, they are not only reading through the content on “How stuff works,” but also then picking out images that enhance their learning of energy concepts. For auditory learners, they will be watching and listening to the video about the ice hockey slap shot, which demonstrates the conservation of momentum, as well as potential and kinetic energy. For the kinesthetic learners, they will have the opportunity to become hands on with the requirement to use the class digital camera in order to capture photos of themselves in action. Teachers often have trouble meeting the needs of every child in their classroom, but this activity reaches out to those varying needs and allows the students to have a choice in the images they collect within the parameters of Olympic athletes.
Focus on Effectiveness: Integrating Technology into Research-Based Strategies (2005). Retrieved on June 1, 2010 from, http://www.netc.org/focus/.
Image sources:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/suites/FX101674081033.aspx (microsoft office)
http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W1000.htm (LCD projector)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=cat13506&type=page&skuId=9245603&productId=1218066769111&defurl=false&h=403 (digital camera)